Oregon PERS data: Could they spare it?
After years of hemming and hawing, last week the State of Oregon finally released the list of more than 100,000 people who receive monthly retirement benefits from the PERS state and local government employees' pension system, along with the amounts of their most recent checks. Former U of O football coach Mike Bellotti's gigantic monthly draw made headlines, and several mainstream media outlets have now written about the list, but there's still a lot about PERS benefits and beneficiaries that the public doesn't know.
For example, while the newly released list shows beneficiaries who receive monthly checks, it does not show those retired government employees who took their pensions as lump sums, rather than monthly payments. Apparently many PERS retirees are given that option, and in some cases the payments can be huge.
Another difficulty for public access is the way the data is being presented by the O. Surely the state gave the newspaper the names and dollar figures in an Excel or similar spreadsheet format. But rather than make the file available to readers to download, the O has created another one of its goofy search engines, in which a reader must enter a particular name and see only what comes up under that name.
The O did something similar when it begrudgingly published Portland city employees' salaries a few years back. Apparently the world would end if the public got a database that it could actually search and work with. Eventually, Oregon Capitol News published a much more useful database.
As for the new PERS list, at least the O's search engine is easily maniuplated. If one searches for just the letter "a," for example, all first or last names starting with that letter are returned. By searching for each of the letters in the alphabet, one could conceivably get all the names out of the O machinery, but what a waste of time that would be.
For the O to restrict the flow of this information through a search-only filter does its readers a disservice. Information should either be public, or not -- it shouldn't be in some nether world in between. If the O's got a spreadsheet file, it ought to make it available for download. Perhaps it agreed not to do that in its legal settlement with the state, but if it made that promise, it shouldn't have.
Finally, the information released on the beneficiaries gives just their names and the amount of each one's monthly benefit. There's no indication of the person's job title or the agency for which he or she worked. It's also not clear whether surviving spouses of government retirees are on the list, or just the retirees themselves. And without the beneficiaries' current ages, there's no way of telling how long any particular lifetime annuity can be expected to last.
According to the Salem newspaper, a more detailed list is to be released in March. Let's hope that it will have more helpful information, and that the mainstream media who receive it will let the public have full access to it, rather than making it available only through frustrating filters.
| Posted at 11:32 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (16)
Yes, a useful list. Only agitates the taxpayers. May also agitate the PERS recipients who now get to see what their peers are getting, justified or not.
Anyway, yesterday's O had a nice backgrounder on how we got here with PERS. A few things jumped out at me:
1. The 8% is briefly mentioned, but not in full context. PERS recipients in Tier 1 were guaranteed a minimum 8% return each year. Additionally, the accounts were credited with even more than 8% during the boom market years. No provision for takebacks when the markets tanked.
2. Failure by the PERS investment team to put enough reserves in place.
3. Failure to illuminate the detail on the non-PERS public pension liabilities that our cities, towns, and counties are facing in the coming years.
Posted by Mike (one of the many) | November 28, 2011 11:54 AM
Failure by the PERS investment team to put enough reserves in place.
Reserves? Who needs reserves? Just do like the City of Portland does with its police and firefighters -- wing it!
Posted by Jack Bog | November 28, 2011 11:57 AM
The list should be public in an easy to access format. But from the state. I don't see why the O is obligated to put it online at all. The O isn't a public service.
Posted by Snards | November 28, 2011 12:10 PM
The O isn't a public service.
Indeed.
Posted by Allan L. | November 28, 2011 12:53 PM
No grand conspiracy, we just had our priorities on getting the list up and searchable quickly and with at least a modicum of usefulness. I'm working on a better search functionality now. Meantime (yes, as a public service), I've added a link to the complete data file. It contains only names and monthly amounts, which is all the state gave us. It's here: http://oregonian.s3.amazonaws.com/name_and_monthly_benefit_allowance.csv
Have at it.
Note: It's a big file with more than 105,000 names, so if your version of Excel isn't 2007 or newer, you won't be able to see the whole file. Try a text editor.
Mark Friesen
The Oregonian
Posted by Mark Friesen | November 28, 2011 1:08 PM
Thanks Mark!
Posted by zonedar | November 28, 2011 1:12 PM
The names of those getting paid more than 10K per month:
BELLOTTI ROBERT M 41341.67
KELLER FREDERICK S 31459.45
HALLICK LESLEY M 23917.22
GOLDSCHMIDT STEVEN M 21517.24
FROHNMAYER DAVID B 21027.21
KOHLER PETER O 20252.33
ANDERSON FRANK W 20209.13
KORACH WILLIAM A 20068.81
VONHIPPEL PETER H 19677.95
MONTANARO ANTHONY 19477.82
KABAT DAVID 19225.04
MOURSUND DAVID G 19178.88
VETRI DOMINICK R 18325.05
HOFFSTETTER ANN L 17908.54
RESCH HELMUTH 17872.92
STARR ALBERT 17546.94
LARSON DARRYL L 17460.84
YUNKER R J 16802.25
WALKER JAMES B 16425.39
DAVIS ROSE M 16329.22
COLONNA JEROME E 16315.57
DUDLEY CHRISTOPHER L 16236.6
BARRY JOHN 16211.07
MADDEX JACK P 15772.2
MOHLER RONALD R 15752.42
LEWY ALFRED J 15744.63
ELLIOT DIANE L 15601.58
STEVENS KENNETH R 15442.84
HYMAN RAY 15398.28
DENNEY THOMAS H 15227.34
HOUGHTON DONALD C 15207.02
GOLDBERG LINN 15187
SEITZ GARY M 15132
ALLEN JOHN S 15124.23
MATARAZZO JOSEPH D 15018.41
LASSWELL WILLIAM L 14982.49
FORBES ORCILIA Z 14956.09
MATTHEWS BRIAN W 14796.24
FLETCHER WILLIAM S 14673.78
LEE JOHN W 14532.71
SQUIRES ROBERT K 14473.3
YOUNG LAWRENCE R 14426.91
RICHARDS LARRY E 14326.43
REARDON MICHAEL F 14273.87
REISTAD GORDON M 14127.68
FRANK ROBERT J 14101.6
LEAHY JOHN V 14096.6
BENNETT HARVEY O 14085.28
OKITA CAROLYN M 14081.09
NIBLER JOSEPH W 14061.93
GUENTHER RONALD B 14061.14
BILBAO MARCIA K 14043.22
PETERSEN BENT E 14041.67
GOOD ROBERT E 13989.41
MOONEY R J 13920.18
BERGER GERARD I 13890.23
DANIELSON JAMES R 13884.3
ZIMMERMAN ROBERT 13827.62
ANDERSON SONIA R 13810.99
IRELAND KAREN M 13791.38
DELF GREGORY D 13651.13
HUTCHENS TYRA T 13607
FLAHERTY FRANCIS J 13570.5
PRITCHETT HAROLD D 13442.11
ERWERT TIMOTHY J 13425.28
MEYER STEPHEN C 13420.17
KINZIE JOHN D 13383.8
HWA RUDOLPH C 13328.77
LEMMAN W T 13321.65
THORNE MICHAEL G 13314.8
DIMAN RODERIC C 13276.23
BUIST NEIL R 13238.18
STINSON MICHAEL J 13227.33
BECKER BORIS W 13165.47
ROBERTS PAUL A 13131.7
JESTER ROBERT S 13120.7
MEISENHEIMER KEITH 13096.83
WHITE JAMES D 13068.27
KATON RONALD M 13031.25
SNOWDEN OLIVER P 13008.86
CARROLL GEORGE C 13000.13
JOHNSON JEFFREY D 12999.58
MELNYK CLIFFORD S 12973.66
MEDLER JERRY F 12882.87
BROWN GEORGE W 12835.68
FARBER PAUL L 12820.91
BURRY KENNETH A 12803.89
MEYER JOHN E 12782.74
BARDANA EMIL J 12779.42
SAVAGE NORMAN M 12740.78
ORBELL JOHN M 12731.04
PEARSE HARPER D 12730.19
GOWING DAVID 12721.2
COOK DAVID M 12713.77
NORDHILL KEVIN M 12612.25
UREN RICHARD C 12602.1
CHRISTENSEN DALE J 12598.72
JACOBSON JON L 12567.65
HOWARD JAMES M 12531.07
MATARAZZO RUTH G 12450.03
DEINZER MAX L 12444.64
DAHLQUIST FREDERICK W 12425.75
TRUPP MALCOLM T 12412.11
DAVIS LORRAINE G 12363.34
BALASKI ROBERT F 12352.91
HOCKLEY BRETT W 12348.26
RAMSEY FRED L 12294.19
PARKER SCOTT H 12294.05
MILLER LELAND D 12287.99
MATTIS JAMES M 12265.73
MARQUARDT VICTOR C 12242.61
FEIN BURTON I 12236.52
REINMUTH JAMES E 12190.65
RETTIG R B 12138.2
KOCH RICHARD M 12124.56
NUNN FREDERICK M 12090.03
HAWKINS DELBERT I 12067.35
BYRNE JOHN V 12036.6
BUIST ALINE S 12024.22
HANIFIN JON M 12002.15
KIMMEL CHARLES B 11940.3
ABERNETHY PAMELA L 11883.79
JUNKIN JOHN M 11858.01
THOMAS THOMAS D 11853.76
HARCLEROAD DOUGLAS 11799.74
LUND JOHN W 11745.88
MORAVEC CATHIE M 11734.68
MCCLURE DAVID W 11702.18
BUTCHER RICHARD G 11684.31
SELBY WILLIAM R 11661.37
DRAKULICH ELAINE M 11650.25
ALLEN DAPHNE T 11644.29
MAGENIS R E 11627.85
GRAHAM PAUL A 11618.94
KEANA JOHN F 11613.17
SCANLAN RICHARD A 11591.04
RUSSELL JIM G 11585.79
PRATTON JERRY D 11563.01
KENNEDY TIMOTHY C 11540.38
KEARNS HOMER H 11474.02
BRODIE LOHN D 11466.04
GROVER MYRON R 11464.37
BROWN JAMES E 11444.66
GILLETTE WILLIAM M 11416.7
DANN LARRY Y 11410.71
PAWLOWSKI ALPHONSE F 11397.26
BELL WILLIAM E 11385.9
BRODIE DONALD W 11374.76
HILLMAN DON G 11372.27
NEWMAN RICHARD H 11357.91
BUCH JAMES R 11335.07
SOCOLOFSKY JOHN H 11331.16
LAYBOURN ROSS L 11311.35
BOHN BURNELL R 11277.09
MUNN RICHARD A 11256.83
GRIER MELINDA W 11243.47
VANVACTOR WILLIAM A 11227.11
WEBER KENNETH N 11226.91
HEDGES JERRIS R 11198.43
PEARSON GEORGE D 11197.3
HURWITZ ROBERT I 11192.03
ANDERSON JAMES A 11180.01
STEVENSON RICHARD C 11176.46
WELTON RICHARD E 11154.95
BROOKS RICHARD L 11147.12
MAGUN BRUCE E 11138.08
DESHPANDE NILENDRA G 11132.61
SPETTER RUTH M 11103.1
MILLIKAN ROBERT C 11086.74
WINTER EARL D 11056.34
PIELE PHILIP K 11007.62
DIERDORFF WILLIAM H 11000.15
TINNIN ROBERT O 10993.06
HUGI JOANNE R 10988.41
FARNHAM CHARLES N 10983.19
SEITZ JOAN G 10980.73
KEYSER JOHN S 10973.64
LOVRIEN EVERETT W 10972.3
CHICKERING ROGER P 10965.16
SCHMUCK RICHARD A 10962.51
HAMILTON HUGH R 10948.72
RIDDLE MATTHEW C 10940.52
BALL LINDSAY A 10922.98
LOVE WILLIAM F 10918.15
DORRANCE JAMES M 10907.49
KANTOR WILLIAM M 10905.67
GOEKJIAN GREGORY F 10900.47
TIEDEMAN GARY H 10867.88
VANHOOMISSEN GEORGE A 10852.8
HAAS HARL H 10842.76
TAYLOR ROBERT B 10839.22
GOLDRICH DANIEL 10817.71
ROBBINS JAMES B 10802.69
BUHLER DONALD R 10801.95
GILLIS JOHN S 10796.1
GEORGE LUELLA L 10794.31
SUCKOW GEORGE R 10793.63
BORDEN JOHN E 10775.36
BUCKHOUSE JOHN C 10772.35
STEPHENS BETTY J 10768.92
GRIMES GARY G 10764.82
CLIFFORD THOMAS G 10751.16
BARKER CHARLES L 10747.71
MILLER CHARLES B 10745.16
KNODE MARCUS C 10708.58
AYRES JAMES W 10706.76
KULM LAVERNE D 10686.29
BISSONNETTE JOHN M 10668.57
FREEMAN PETER K 10660.76
STEINER JERRY L 10640.44
WILSON ROBERT E 10628.66
KEENE KATHERINE L 10627.38
KESTERSON BRETT I 10607.07
KELLEY CHARLES T 10604.02
LAFRANCHI STEPHEN H 10587.24
FEATHERINGILL JACK L 10585.64
PRICE SHELBY L 10575.92
KING LARRY L 10566.88
LESAGE PAUL M 10565.55
KLOBAS JOHN R 10562.22
CHESTER PATSY J 10559.14
KAIEL MICHAEL L 10541.25
SCHMIDT TERRI A 10537.45
LUTZ GUY H 10537.16
CROSS STEPHEN P 10535.19
GRIGGS LAWRENCE F 10524.54
WILLIAMS CHRISTOPHER P 10515.02
HODGES DANIEL L 10513.2
HESTER GARY L 10508.87
MANCINI DOMINIC 10506.97
SOLLITT CHARLES K 10489.26
BROWNE JUDD L 10488.39
MORALES FELIX W 10478.04
DOBBS JERI L 10474.98
MARIELS RAY P 10472.88
SIERADSKI ALLAN J 10462.74
BRYANT RICHARD E 10447.46
KENDRICK WILLIAM M 10435.9
CAMPBELL PHILLIP L 10433.12
HOLT RICHARD A 10431.21
KEIL SUSAN D 10429.78
HARLAND ROBERT W 10428.27
WISELY STEVEN R 10400.47
WARNER BRUCE A 10387.73
LEISTRA RONALD M 10383
CEASE RONALD C 10378.8
WESTON JAMES A 10369.84
CURTIS BRENT E 10368.91
KORACH RACHEL M 10366.97
BRADSHAW WINSTON R 10364.43
MILLS DALLICE I 10315.58
BAIRD MICHAEL D 10291.02
WILLIAMS JOHN C 10281.8
GORHAM ROBERT C 10279.38
HOLLOWAY DAVID A 10278.31
BEAULIEU JOHN D 10276.08
MAKINNEY CHARLES F 10275.89
MILLER FRIEDRICH V 10273.16
WADE JOSEPH D 10256.72
KLUTH WILLIAM F 10253.05
ROTROCK BARRY J 10251.28
PIERCE DONALD A 10249.45
STEERS RICHARD M 10245.26
PETING DONALD L 10244.66
KENT JAMON H 10227.34
QUENZER DAVIS E 10225.37
MARGESON LANCE W 10222.72
MIX MICHAEL C 10220.98
SHELDAHL RICHARD M 10218.56
HOWLAND LERON R 10213.67
CARSON WALLACE P 10208.6
MARTIN GARY M 10208.31
GILBERT DAVID E 10189.78
MCMACKEN LARRY M 10184.96
SOMMER DEBORAH 10177.72
LATTIN JOHN D 10177.56
KIRCHHOFER EDWARD A 10165.81
BACON JAY D 10164.55
SANDILANDS JAMES D 10164.31
DELLINGER WILLIAM S 10134.04
PRITCHARD CHARLES E 10122.51
FOLTS JAMES A 10121.54
ELLIOTT WILLIAM M 10119.32
GILLAND WILMOT G 10115.07
HOLLAND MERRY 10103.46
LONG GARY P 10103.43
MOSELEY JOHN T 10094.74
WICKMAN HERBERT H 10086.74
MCLAIN TIMOTHY F 10085.32
MOORE FRANK L 10081.79
WILLIAMS JOHN R 10080.42
TROMBLEY RICHARD R 10078.39
MANARY JAMES D 10074.23
LOWERY KENNETH C 10066.72
ROMMEL BARBARA K 10065.42
KAUFMAN LOYD A 10064.2
CLEMENTS JAN E 10060.75
WIPRUD THEODORE F 10051.21
GALTON SIDNEY A 10042.88
DEKOCK CARROL W 10034.64
WONG WARREN G 10026.06
WILSON JAMES B 10025.07
HELGESON RICHARD C 10024.46
CUTLER DAVID L 10020.99
PICKETT THOMAS 10018.03
HLADKY JOAN B 10016.2
BURNS ROY L 10011.75
TRAVIS JOHN M 10006.33
COONFIELD HUGH A 10005.56
SCHELLENBERG BEN A 10004.41
GARDNER JOHN A 10000.56
Posted by zonedar | November 28, 2011 1:15 PM
Alright! We've got their names. Now what?
Posted by Sigma | November 28, 2011 1:43 PM
So I just did the math. The list of PERS people zonedar printed above constitue 3 tenths of one percent (technically.295%) of all PERS recipients. Should the Oregonian now do a article on the other 99.705%?
Posted by Anon Too | November 28, 2011 3:31 PM
Back to the 'lump sum' payouts offered: How are those calculated? What formula do they use for life expectancy? Where is the list of those payouts?
Posted by pdxcad | November 28, 2011 5:44 PM
A more useful list??? Useful for what exactly? To cause hatred and outrage at individual recipients?
I am as upset as anyone at the super high payouts, but is it really useful for me to know how much the janitor at my old High School takes home for his 30 years of hard work?
Nothing will change what these people get and no one in the future will get the same payout, so this is nothing more than fanning the flames to sell more papers.
Posted by Brian | November 28, 2011 6:26 PM
After looking at that list above, is there any wonder this state is going broke? Working 30 years at a blue collar job and having a modest pension is one thing, but this is highway robbery.
Posted by DB Cooper | November 28, 2011 6:55 PM
"Back to the 'lump sum' payouts offered: How are those calculated?"
Prior to 2003 public employees put 6% of their pay toward their PERS pension. When they retired they could get a pension or double the amount of their account balance in a lump sum.
"What formula do they use for life expectancy?"
Since the payout calculation had nothing to do their life expectancy it wasn't used.
"Where is the list of those payouts?"
I don't know it might be that since these people weren't receiving a PERS pension it wasn't asked for by the Oregonian.
Remember that it didn't make financial sense for most PERS employees to take the lump sum payout. They generally would receive more money by taking the pension. Unless they knew they were dying and wouldn't live to get the money.
Posted by Anon Too | November 28, 2011 7:04 PM
"A more useful list??? Useful for what exactly? To cause hatred and outrage at individual recipients?"
That is precisely the point. Names and addresses are also public information based on property tax data, and are easily available to anyone with access to, for example, a computer at PSU with GIS software, in a database that can be queried by name. Or access to a disgruntled city/county/metro employee. There is a natural zenith to fanning this type of outrage, and it's not going to end well.
Posted by Sigma | November 28, 2011 8:47 PM
Mean: $2,363.25
Median: $1,902.66
Standard Deviation: $1,909.13
Lowest: $1.01/month
Highest: $41,341.67/month
Posted by Lokes | November 29, 2011 11:39 AM
What this list shows us is that our City, County, and State government Unions have nothing to cry about. They are breaking us. It is outrageous how much they get paid and this is the reason why Unions are not good for our cities, counties, states, or federal governments. I have seen how they work and they are the purest of forms of the Liberal/Socialistic agenda.
Posted by Nancy | December 8, 2011 1:38 PM